In Kunning Palace, Lin Yun received an imperial edict to prepare for her makeup.
She sat upright in front of the dressing table, her fingertips lightly tracing the pearls on her phoenix crown, pondering: These Western delegations have come from afar to see her, they must have come prepared, could it be that they want to find out something from her.
They will definitely regret their decision today!
The knowledge I displayed was nothing special; it was simply that I had the advantage of striking first.
But this advantage is enough to change a lot of things.
As the Empress, her every word and action was related to the dignity of the Qing Dynasty. Today, she would use her most perfect demeanor to deter these covetous individuals.
"Granny, you must dress and groom yourself according to the standards for the grand ceremony today," she instructed softly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
The palace maids immediately got to work.
The dressing box made of Phoebe zhennan wood unfolds layer by layer, revealing treasured snail-shell ink, rouge, and pearl powder.
Her hair was loosely tied up, adorned with kingfisher feather phoenix hairpins, and a nine-tailed golden phoenix holding a pearl hairpin hung down in front of her forehead, swaying gently with her movements, exuding nobility yet dignity.
On her bright yellow court robe, a phoenix embroidered with gold thread spreads its wings as if about to take flight, and the cloud-patterned trim accentuates the lines of her shoulders and neck, making them appear as if carved from white jade.
When the nanny put the court beads on her, she couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Highness's elegance is so captivating that even the gods would be mesmerized by it."
Lin Yun looked at herself in the mirror, a slight smile playing on her lips.
The old woman handed over a handkerchief embroidered with peonies: "Your Highness, everything is ready."
Lin Yun slowly rose to her feet, her long dress trailing on the ground, her jade pendants tinkling.
She took a deep breath, a sharp glint in her eyes: "Let's go, don't keep the Emperor waiting."
---
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony, melodious music filled the air as the banquet was in full swing.
The members of the delegation outwardly toasted each other, but their eyes kept drifting towards the palace gate, waiting for the legendary empress to appear.
They had already heard of the empress's reputation from afar in the West, and the descriptions from their spies only fueled their curiosity about who this empress was who could command such attention from the Yongzheng Emperor.
Suddenly, a eunuch's high-pitched announcement came from outside the hall: "Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"
The hall fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes turned to the entrance.
Lin Yun walked calmly and slowly into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The bright yellow court robes swept across the ground like flowing clouds, with the gold thread wave pattern on the hem of the robes swaying with each step, as if the person had arrived on clouds.
The jewels on the phoenix crown shimmered and sparkled in the candlelight.
Her small, palm-sized face was serene as water, her skin as white as snow, her eyes as clear as spring water, and a faint smile played on her lips, as if she were a fairy who had stepped out of an ancient painting.
The officials rose to their feet and bowed, secretly marveling at how the Empress usually kept to herself, and it was rare to see her dressed so formally, even on major celebrations.
Upon seeing you today, I can confirm that you are indeed exceptionally beautiful and possess a captivating presence.
Yunsi, Yuntang, Yunxiang and others couldn't help but take a few more glances.
Although they often moved around the palace, it was extremely rare to see the Empress dressed so formally.
Yuntang sighed inwardly, "No wonder Fourth Brother stopped holding a selection of concubines. With such an Empress, who would even look at anyone else?"
Charles's eyes widened.
He had been working undercover in the Qing Dynasty for a long time and had seen many noblewomen, but he had never seen a woman of such unparalleled beauty.
Her beauty was not as flamboyant as that of Western noblewomen, but possessed a unique Eastern elegance and nobility, like exquisite porcelain.
It is something one dares not desecrate.
The mission members were even more shocked.
They had assumed the Qing Dynasty's empress would be an older woman, but she turned out to be so young, looking no more than twenty years old.
What was even more unbelievable to them was that her demeanor was in no way inferior to that of the emperor, and she even seemed to possess a kind of transcendent wisdom.
When Yongzheng saw Lin Yun arrive, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes, and he personally got up to greet her.
He extended his hand and said gently, "The Empress has arrived."
Lin Yun smiled slightly, gently placed her hand in his palm, and gave a graceful bow: "Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
Emperor Yongzheng offered a helping hand and said gently, "No need for formalities. The delegation has come from afar today, and I have specially invited you to join us for this banquet."
Lin Yun nodded, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall before finally settling on the delegation.
Her gaze was neither humble nor arrogant, showing neither deliberate haughtiness nor the slightest timidity, as if she were merely scrutinizing a group of ordinary guests.
James, the head of the delegation, was the first to recover and quickly led everyone to rise and pay their respects: "Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress!"
Lin Yun smiled slightly and replied in fluent English, "Gentlemen, you have come from afar, there's no need for such formalities."
Her voice was clear and melodious, and her English pronunciation was even more standard than that of these Westerners!
The hall erupted in uproar once again.
The ministers looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although they knew the Queen was learned, they did not know that she was also fluent in Western languages!
Zhang Tingyu stroked his beard and exclaimed in amazement, "Her Majesty the Empress is indeed a woman of great hidden talent."
The mission members were now speechless with astonishment.
They had originally planned to use the language barrier to probe the truth, but the Queen spoke such fluent English as soon as she opened her mouth, and their plans were suddenly disrupted.
James barely suppressed his shock and forced a dry laugh, "I never expected Her Majesty the Empress to be fluent in English. It's truly admirable."
Lin Yun smiled calmly: "I know a little bit, nothing to brag about."
Emperor Yongzheng secretly rejoiced at the delegation's humiliated appearance.
He remained outwardly calm, only gently shaking Lin Yun's hand to signal her to sit down.
Lin Yun sat down beside Yongzheng, her posture dignified, her gaze calm as she looked at the delegation.
He slowly began, "I've heard that you all have a great interest in the products of the Qing Dynasty. I wonder if you are satisfied today?"
Before the Emperor could speak, the Empress asked a question first, which was clearly a sign of the great respect the Emperor usually showed her.
At this moment, the ministers had to reassess the Empress's position in the Emperor's heart.
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